15 hours
by WolfAsh
Summary: Fate is a tricky thing. If life altering events never happen, can two people still find each other? AU Lucy/Wyatt oneshot (for now)


**A/N: If smut isn't your thing, I wouldn't recommend reading further. Enjoy! (ps sorry about any grammatical errors. I've read it numerous times but I'm sure I've missed some things).**

15 hours

 _Remind me why I agreed to coming out again tonight?_

I walked into the small dive bar 10 minutes late as my Uber driver had taken a wrong turn on the way here. I had agreed on meeting my friend Dave, who everyone called Bam Bam, at 6:30pm. The bar wasn't too crowded; just one of those little hole in the wall joints that had live music a couple nights a week. A band was getting ready to set up; there were a couple locals at the bar and a few groups of friends eating dinner. Bam Bam was nowhere in sight. I checked my phone again and didn't see a text from him. _Asshole._ I took a seat at the bar and tried to flag down the bartender.

Since my wife left me for a co-worker 5 months ago, I hadn't felt like being in the company of others too much. We had had an awful divorce and I really did love my wife. Bam Bam had been trying to get me to come out with him for weeks but I kept turning him down just wanting to be alone. I had thrown myself into my work at the army base these past few months and left straight after my shift ended to head home a throw a few well deserved punches into my sand bag at my apartment.

Tired of the nagging, I agreed to come out with Bam Bam just this one time if he promised to lay off me for a few weeks. So, we decided on this bar since there was a cover band playing that night everyone our age had been raving about lately. But it was now 6:55pm, Bam Bam was nowhere in sight and the bartender still had not given me the time of day.

Pissed, I abruptly shoved back my chair forcefully to leave and felt it come in contact with something very solid and that something let out a shocked scream. Reflexes kicked in and I tried to grab the woman I had knocked into before she hit the floor.

Luckily, I was fast enough to grab the her before she hit the floor, but because of those stupid death trap heels that women wear, she was unsteady on her feet and somehow ended falling into me instead and we ended up in a tangled mess of limbs on the floor.

"What do you think you were doing?" The woman snapped, trying to entangle herself from me.

"I'm sorry ma'am. My head was in another place," fully aware of the weight of the woman on top of me.

"Clearly," she replied unamused. She finally was able to get her hands untangled and went to push herself off my chest. Her face was only a few inches from mine and when our eyes met, and it was as if the world stopped right then and there and we were the only two people in the world. I was looking at the most stunningly beautiful woman I had met in a long time. She had big, warm brown eyes and dark wavy hair. It had been awhile since I had been this close to a woman and as my eyes dropped to her lips, I noticed they looked so kissable. Our lips were so close, we were just breathing in each other's air. I couldn't help noticing that her agitation had started to vanish as her eyes had not left mine either and she had stopped frantically trying to extract herself from me. Part of me wanted to just grab her there and kiss her senseless.

Once I remembered where we were, I was able to snap out of it. I cleared my throat and asked, "Are you alright ma'am? I'm sorry about that. I wasn't looking."

"Oh, yes," she choked out in a tiny voice, shaking her head as if awaking from a trance. She took her hands off my chest and at once I wished she hadn't. I could still feel where her hands had been, like a faint shadow of possibilities.

As we stood up, I was able to get a better look at her. She was wearing a bright red dress that showed off all her features. She was petite and athletic and there was an air of confidence about her that she gave off even when she was sprawled across the floor on top of me.

"Can I buy you a drink to make up for it?" I asked her, not wanting her to leave my presence quite yet. "This bartender hasn't given me the light of day yet and I'm not sure how long it would take to get you one, but I feel bad for knocking you off your feet."

She looked me over and gave me a small smile. "Sure, I'd like that." Then she turned and looked down the bar, "Hey, Chris! This guy here wants to buy me a drink, so I'd appreciate it if we didn't have to wait all day."

"On it Lucy! The usual?" She nodded. "What does he want?"

"Whiskey, neat." We waited for our drinks to be made in silence. I wanted to open my mouth and say something, but it been a long time since I had tried to talk to a woman who wasn't my wife. She was leaning against the bar humming to some tune. I didn't want to take my eyes off her, she was just so stunning and just at peace with herself.

Finally, Chris, the bartender, slid our drinks in front of us. It looked like she had gotten a vodka soda. I wasn't sure why, but I filed this away in the back of my head. I handed the bartender my card and told him to keep my tab open.

"Are you sure you're alright ma'am?" Unsure what else to say and my nerves getting the better of me.

"You know, we're practically the same age. You don't have to call me ma'am. Lucy is fine." She replied. "And yes, I'm fine. It's a good thing I didn't crack my head open or a lot of people would have been disappointed tonight."

"Oh, why's that?"

"Well, I'm the lead singer of the band that's playing tonight. You have heard of us, right? _Didactic_? I mean that's why you're here aren't you?" Oh right, that band Bam Bam was telling me about.

"Really? You're the lead singer of this band everyone has been talking about. My friend dragged me here tonight to see you guys play and he's not even here. He hasn't stopped talking about you guys and has been trying to drag me out to see you play for weeks now. I'm actually pretty pissed he isn't here yet. No offense, I didn't really want to come tonight." I wasn't sure while I was rambling on and on to this woman.

"Oh, not a fan?" She joked, taking a sip from her glass but smiling over the rim. I felt my face getting warm with slight embarrassment.

"I didn't say that, ma'am." She glared at me and I grinned. "I haven't had the best few months, not that its anything to do with you. And now my so-called best friend ditched me at some dive bar."

"Well, someone needs to get some things off his chest." She spun the barstool next to me around and sat down with her back facing the bar. "Spill."

"You do not want to hear about the screwed up mess that is my life." I'm not much of a talker; tend to keep things to myself, especially my emotions. Even those closest to me never know what is really going on in my head. I thought it was something I had learned while I was in Delta Force; how to keep my emotions in check and get over the hump.

"Think of it as making up for crashing into me and almost taking my head off before I had a chance to earn my paycheck tonight," Lucy grinned.

"I bought you a drink!" I could only imagine it now. Bam Bam walking into the bar while I'm telling this beautiful woman my sob story. _What would Bam Bam think of me then?_

"I'm a good listener!" She pouted at me. "Sometimes, you just need to talk and get things off your chest. It might do you some good." I shook my head at her and sighed. Somehow, I knew this confident, fire-cracker of a woman would get her way with whatever she wanted from me. And I let my story spill before I knew what was happening.

"Have you ever had your heart broken?" Her once bright, brown eyes now had a speck of sadness in them. She placed her hand on the top of my leg and she coaxed me on. "My wife of 7 years just divorced and left me for her coworker who she had been cheating on me with for 2 years. Jess was my high school sweetheart. I was Delta Force for 5 years of our marriage and overseas a majority of the time. I tried my best to be a loving husband, but it's hard being away from someone for that long. Not being able to contact them all the time. Half the time I was overseas, she had no idea where I was or if I was even alive. Our missions were on a need-to-know basis only. I retired about a year and a half ago and just became an instructor to try to save my marriage, but it was too late. One night about 6 months ago, I got off early from work to surprise Jess, really wanting to start to make up for all the time that we lost together. Came home with flowers and planned on taking her out for a nice dinner. But there she was, fucking her coworker in our bedroom. She moved out later that day and served me divorce papers the following week." Lucy squeezed the hand that was on my leg and I saw sorrow in her eyes. Her warm touch felt comforting, something I hadn't realized I needed. "Worst part is, I found out 2 months ago she's pregnant with this other guy's kid." I slung back the rest of the whiskey in my glass and slammed it down on the bar unable to make eye contact with Lucy.

"Chris, get this guy another whiskey," Lucy called down to the bartender. "Well, you were right. That definitely is a mess. But this girl, Jess, she sounds like a bitch, no offense. You are a solider, putting your life at risk everyday to ensure that everyone else is safe. I have never been in that situation, but to have a husband, boyfriend or even just a friend be called away for months at a time not knowing where he was, well I would be damn proud of him because of what his real purpose of being gone was. Sounds like Jess was with you long enough to have understood what she was getting into before she married you. You deserve better."

Chris had returned with my 2nd round and I took a long sip. I was finally able to look at her in the eyes and saw nothing but warmth. How did this woman I had met all of 10 minutes ago know the right thing to say to me, much less get me to open up about something I had never talked about to anyone else, even Bam Bam?

I took another sip of my drink. "Thanks. I think I needed to hear that. I've been beating myself up for the destruction of my marriage for too long."

"I get it. I've been through something similar. Kept beating myself up about it for so long. When I was finally able to see the other side of things, it was like a breath of fresh air. You'll get there," she said with a smile and patted my leg. "I didn't catch your name."

"Oh its-"

"WYATT!" I heard my name from across the bar. Bam Bam had finally appeared with his arm wrapped around a petite blonde. I felt Lucy remove her hand from my leg and immediately wished she hadn't. It was as if the support I hadn't known I needed had disappeared in a flash. "Sorry I'm late man. I met Laura here when I was leaving my apartment. Apparently, she moved in a few days ago and I invited her a long to show her some cool areas in town." He saw Lucy sitting next to me and I noticed him trying to hold back a grin. He was ignoring the annoyed look I had on my face. "Oh, who might this beautiful woman be?"

"Lucy Preston. You must be the best friend who is 45 minutes late," she replied and held out her hand for him to shake.

"You're Lucy Preston? The lead singer of _Didactic_? You guys are awesome! I've heard some of your stuff on YouTube but haven't been able to get to see you live," Bam Bam shook her hand enthusiastically.

"Well, you almost didn't. Wyatt here almost took me out with his chair," she grinned and winked at me. "Well I've got to go start getting ready with the rest of the band." She turned and looked at me. "Maybe I'll see you when we take a break? Save a drink for me?" She patted my shoulder and left. I watched her retreating back until she disappeared from sight and immediately ached to see her again.

"Hello! Earth to Wyatt!" I snapped out of it as Bam Bam was trying to get my attention. "I'm sorry I was late man, but then again, maybe I'm not. Lucy Preston is hot. And she was totally in to you, Wyatt. You need to get her number."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Bam, I am not ready for any sort of relationship right now."

"Who said anything about a relationship? Wyatt, you've had a rough few months. Don't you think its time to have a little fun? Its ok to have some fun. Your ex-wife is a bitch and you are not wrapped around her finger anymore. Its time to be you."

Bam Bam left me to my thoughts while he tried to grab the bartender to get a round of drinks for him and his new friend Laura. Maybe it was time for me to let Jess go. She clearly was over me. We had been together since high school and I had never seen myself with anyone else. But Lucy was something special. Nothing like Jess.

"Fuck it," I mumbled under my breath. _Just go for it._ I slammed back the rest of my whiskey.

* * *

Lucy's band was pretty awesome, and I understood why Bam Bam wanted to take me here tonight. They played cover songs, mostly from the 80s, 90s and early 00s. Stuff that we had grown up listening too. It was easy to forget about all your thoughts and worries when you were suddenly dropped back into your childhood.

Lucy was meant to be a singer. She got the crowd signing and dancing. Everyone was enjoying themselves. Bam Bam a little too loudly. I felt like it is very rare to see someone who truly loves what they are doing. This woman was something special.

Before a 20-minute break, they ended surprisingly with Zombie. Lucy could sing anything. I flagged Chris the bartender down, who since Lucy's first drink, kept my whiskey's coming without even having to ask. I ordered a vodka soda and it was ready just as Lucy found me in the crowd.

"It's safe to say you have a new fan." I smiled at her as I handed over her drink.

"You didn't believe your friend when he wanted to drag you out tonight to see us play?" she laughed and took a sip of her drink. "Oh, you remembered!" I could not get over how much confidence radiated from this woman.

"Well, Bam Bam doesn't always have the _best_ taste in things." We both looked over to the corner of the bar where Dave was making out with Laura in the corner of the bar. Lucy laughed.

"So how long has your band been together for?" I asked her, eager to learn a little bit more about her life.

"Well I met Ian, our guitar player when I was in college. He heard me sing at an open mic night and asked me to perform at some Bar Mitzvahs with him. Safe to say we were a hit." She laughed, seeming to think about those days. "We found Jimmy, the drummer, and Mike, the bass player a few years later when we were looking to form a larger band. We've been together ever since. We're all pretty close. They're like my brothers." She said fondly of her bandmates. She then told me some early, light-hearted stories about her three bandmates when they were first starting their band.

"They've gotten me through a lot of rough times too," she said suddenly. She looked shocked that it had come out of her mouth.

"Oh, how so?" I was curious. Lucy seemed like she could take anything that was thrown at her, but I guess it's wrong to think that there are some people have it all together. If I had learned anything from being the army, is that no one has it all together.

Our eyes met, and I could see some unsteadiness mixed in her deep brown eyes.

"Well, I-" she started to say.

"Lucy! There you are! We're about to go back on in 5 minutes," Ian, the guitarist, had pushed through the crowded to get to her.

"Oh! Sorry Ian. I'll be right there." She started to get off her barstool then grabbed my hand. "Wyatt, meet me after our show?" Her eyes searched my face, almost as if she was pleading with me to stay.

"I'll be right here waiting with a vodka soda for you, ma'am." She glared at me but squeezed my hand anyway and I watched her walk away for the second time that night.

* * *

Bam had finally rejoined me with Laura midway through the band's second set.

"So, I saw you with Lucy during their break. Did you get her number?" Bam Bam tried to yell over the music while his date was in the bathroom.

"How did you see me with Lucy? You had your tongue down that girl's throat the whole intermission." Bam Bam wasn't necessarily a player, but he was good with women. Something I was currently jealous of seeing as I hadn't tried to flirt with a woman since high school.

"I have my ways," he said and then noticed that Laura was making her way back. "Seriously dude, get her number."

A few songs later after a couple up beat songs, Lucy said to the audience, "So I always hate saying this, but this is going to be the last song of the night." Groans escaped from the audience as no one wanted it to end. "I know, I know, but all good nights always have to come to an end. For this last song, we're going to take it down a few notches. So, grab someone and hold them close."

The band slowed it down and Lucy's voice deepened unlike any other song she had performed that night.

" _Come away with me in the night/Come away with me/And I will write you a song_ "

If I had thought Lucy's voice was beautiful before, it was nothing compared to how she sounded now. It was a type of song no one expected after hearing a night of 90s rock and pop and 80s dance music.

" _Come away with me and we'll kiss/On a mountaintop/Come away with me/And I'll never stop loving you"_

I was still sitting on my barstool while Bam Bam and Laura had stood up to dance. At that time, I was the only poor fool that was by himself at the bar, but I could not take my eyes off Lucy. I didn't know much about music and singing but Lucy seemed to add emotion to the words that came out of her mouth; all night with every song she had sung. There was something special about this woman and I just wanted more of her.

As she came into the last verse, her eyes started searching the crowd the crowd for something. Eventually, she landed on me at my claimed spot at the bar and her big brown eyes locked with my blue ones.

 _"And I want to wake up with the rain/Falling on a tin roof/While I'm safe there in your arms/So all I ask is for you/To come away with me in the night/Come away with me"_

She finished her song, but her eyes did not leave mine, like she was trying to send me a message. I was unaware of the crowd cheering and applauding until Bam Bam nudged me and I finally broke eye contact with Lucy.

"Laura and I are heading out. Go get your girl, Wyatt," he winked at me. He threw his arm around Laura and the two of them headed for the door with the rest of the crowd.

I flagged down Chris to get another whiskey and vodka soda and sat at the bar soaking up the events of the night.

Lost in thought, I didn't hear her approach. "Hey solider, is this seat taken?"

"No ma'am," I ignored her disapproval and jumped up and slid the stool out for her, to which she smiled at.

As she reached for her drink, I couldn't help but notice how relaxed and happy Lucy looked, as if she hadn't a care in the world because she knew what made her happy. Somehow, I felt that peacefulness being passed on to me.

"You were pretty great up there. Singing, performing, it makes you happy."

"Singing was always my way of calming my nerves whenever I was in a stressful situation, especially all through high school. But, I didn't always know that I wanted to make a career out of it. It was always something I just did for fun and then Ian found me. He made realize deep down that it was exactly what I wanted to do with my life. It brings joy to me and so many others, it just feels rewarding."

"I know what you mean, to have passion in what you're doing. I joined the army because of my grandpa. He was my role model growing up. My father was a piece of crap asshole who didn't give two shits about me when my mother died. Grandpa took me in and became the father I never really had. He fought Nazis in World War 2 and as a kid, I wanted to be just like him. Joining the army made me feel like I could really be a part of something and make a difference."

"Are you going to continue being an instructor now that things with Jess have ended? Are you going to back to Delta Force?" Lucy asked curiously, sipping her drink.

"You know, truthfully, I hadn't thought about it," I replied. "I've been so wrapped up in this Jessica drama, I don't think I've been really thinking about what is best for me." I took one last sip of my drink and was about to flag Chris down for another one.

"Hey, want to get out of here?" She had caught me off guard with her boldness and I noticed she still had a lot of her drink left.

"Right now?" She nodded. "Umm, sure, let me close my tab," I replied a little nervous. I got Chris's attention and while he was swiping my card, Lucy downed the rest of her drink. "You didn't have to do that. I would have waited for you to finish."

"Don't worry about it," she shrugged. "I'm ready to get out of this place."

I settled with Chris and then she was practically dragging me out the door. "Alright, where to boss?" I chuckled.

Lucy gave me a look but smiled. "Do you want to just go for a walk? Its such a beautiful night."

I had to admit it was. It was 10pm on a Saturday night in August in San Francisco but it was warmer than usual. The sky was clear, and we were able to see some stars in the night sky despite being in the city. People were out and about going to various bars, enjoying the warm August night.

"Sure, I'd love to." Lucy smiled at me and we started down the street. I really wanted to take her hand, but nerves had gotten the better of me. "Have you always lived in San Francisco?"

"Yeah, my mother was a history professor at Stanford and my sister still lives with her. My father died a couple years ago from lung cancer from smoking. We're really close, my sister, Amy and I. I don't know what I would do without her. She's the one pushed me to go for my dreams. She's finishing up her undergrad at Stanford and has her own podcast. What brought you to San Francisco?"

"I was stationed at Pendleton for awhile and was sent up here for some various training programs in the area. I'm pretty sure my supervisors wanted to give me some time away from my ex, so they sent me up here for a few months. Bam Bam is Delta Force as well and he's on some top-secret mission here and he had a night off. To be honest, I haven't seen much of the city since I've been here."

"Really?" I shook my head. "Well, looks like I'm taking you on Lucy Preston's private San Francisco walking tour." She grabbed my hand. "Come on!"

She steered me down a different street and started chatting away about various buildings and monuments we passed. It was all a whirlwind and she suddenly caught my confused expression.

"I love history. I used to be a history major in undergrad. Its just another passion of mine. My mom made me read these history books for kids and I guess I just never stopped enjoying it. If I'm not practicing with my band, chances are you'll find me with my nose in a book," she laughed.

As it turns out, Lucy was a walking encyclopedia of knowledge. I wasn't much of a history buff myself, but she had a passion for it and I always enjoy listening to someone speak about something they really love. We walked by building after building and she just poured out facts. At one point in front of a fountain, I just cracked a smile listening to her talk.

"What? Did I say something funny?" She said when she noticed me struggling to hold back a grin.

"No, no. Its just your so passionate about this stuff. I hated history class as a kid. I always had boring teachers who never seemed to care about what they were teaching. But the way you talk about it, it makes me feel like I was actually there."

I thought I had given Lucy a huge compliment but the look that appeared on her face, it was one that I couldn't read. _What did I say wrong?_ I noticed her eyes started to glisten and she stared down at her feet. She hesitated for a moment, then "Come on, I want to finish telling you want I started to say at the bar. There's a quiet spot this way." She grabbed my hand again and we started walking silently through the night.

She took me to this secluded little beach with a perfect view of the moon in the night sky. There was just enough light reflected on the beach, so we could still see each other. She looked absolutely stunning in the moonlight.

We sat down in the sand 10 feet away from the water's edge and Lucy took off her shoes and tossed her purse to the side. I did the same while she gathered up the courage to talk.

"Lucy, you don't have to tell me about it if you don't want to," I told her softly while I went to take her hand that was sitting next to me in the sand. I brushed my thumb absentmindedly across the top of her hand while we sat in silence.

"No, its only fair that I should tell you about my mess of a life, just like you told me yours." She hesitated then, "I told you earlier that I used to be a history major in college. Well, I only was because that's who my mother wanted me to be. She raised me to follow in her footsteps, wanting me to eventually take over her department at Stanford when she retired. When I started college, I thought that's what I wanted as well. She never let me go out with friends in high school, making me do homework on Friday nights instead. Pushed me to my limits by taking tons of AP classes. I was never able to stand up to her. But college is the time of finding yourself and it was my first real chance to be away from her. I had somehow convinced her to let me stay in the dorms on campus.

"A friend had heard me singing in the shower one day and convinced me to go to an open mic night with her. That's where Ian found me, I think I told you earlier. We started getting more and more gigs and I realized how much I enjoyed signing. I had started to let my grades slip, and I found out I didn't really care. I didn't want to become a history teacher anymore.

"I was scarred of my mom and didn't know how to tell her. Amy and Ian were extremely supportive of me and in the end convinced me to go home and tell her the truth. I remember practicing the speech over and over again in my head as I drove home that night. When I finally pulled up to the house, I couldn't get out of the car. It took me 10 mins to work up the courage to go speak to her.

"When I finally was able to go in, we got into a horrible screaming match. She said I was a disappointment of a daughter and kicked me out of the house. Told me not to ask her for money or even speak to her for that matter until I got my act together. Its been almost 10 years since that day and I still haven't seen or heard from my mother."

I squeezed her hand and started to say something in return but realized she wasn't done. "Wyatt, Amy told me a few months ago that mom was diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer and doesn't have much time left. Amy tried to get her to speak to me, but she refused." Tears were rushing down her face freely by now and she was trying to choke back some sobs.

"Come here, Lucy. I'm right here." I took her into my arms and let her cry into my chest. I tried to wipe away her tears as they were falling but they came too fast. This strong woman who had surprised me over and over again that night ended up being just like me. Trying to hide the pain away while maintaining a hard-exterior wall. I don't know why or how we found each other when we did or why we were able to spill our inner secrets to each other having only known about the existence of one another for a few short hours. All I knew in that exact moment is that I never wanted to let her go.

I held her as long as she wanted and needed me too. Eventually, the sobs started to slow. "Lucy, you are such an incredible, brave, confident woman. You have worked so hard to get to where you are today. You have given up so much just to follow your dream. Anyone who loves you should be damn proud of you. I know I sure as hell am." She lifted her head off my chest and looked into my eyes and I saw a faint smile on her lips. "As for your mother, you should be allowed to see her if you want. Walk into that damn house and don't leave until she sees you. You are her daughter and she will want to see you even if she doesn't realize it now."

After a few minutes of silence, Lucy sobs stop but she still held onto me. "How did I find you, Wyatt?" she asks suddenly. "I have never felt this comfortable and at ease around someone who wasn't Amy. I haven't even told my bandmates about my mom yet and they know my whole life story. Its like you were meant to walk into that bar and knock me off my feet, literally and figuratively."

"Well, I don't believe in fate or destiny Lucy, but I am sure glad as hell I walked into that bar tonight. Don't tell Bam Bam." She laughed. "I'm pretty much a closed book, even when I was married to Jessica. All those years we were together, I kept putting her on a pedestal, but never once did I open up to her like I did to you today."

We sat in silence for a few minutes, soaking up each other's company and the beautiful scene we had found ourselves in.

I suddenly felt the urge to cheer Lucy up. I coaxed her into standing up and she looked at me, confused. "Would you like to go for a swim, ma'am?"

"Wyatt, you must think I'm crazy. Its midnight and only 70 degrees out. I don't know if you've ever been in the water in the bay area but its- Ahhh!" I had picked Lucy up and flung her over my shoulder. "You better put me down solider!" I could feel her slapping her hands against my back as I ran towards the water. Eventually, she gave up and started giggling. "Wyatt, it's going to be freezing!"

"I'll keep you warm." She was still laughing when I splashed into the water and repositioned her, so we were face to face with her arms around my neck and her legs wrapped around my back. With flashbacks from earlier that night, I had ached to be in this position with her again. Our lips were just about to touch, when a huge wave crashed over us and I lost my grip on her as we both went under.

"Lucy!" I yelled when I resurfaced, but she was already standing. She was laughing, hair soaking wet and covered in sand. She looked so beautiful, just carefree and happy with the moonlight dancing off her.

I went over to meet her and took her into my arms again. "Lucy, you are so beautiful." I brushed a piece of her hair behind her ear and caressed her face. My body physically ached to kiss her. I went to draw her face towards mine-

"Wyatt, wait."

I could tell something was eating at Lucy and she looked upset. "Wyatt, my band signed a record label and we leave to go on tour across country in 10 hours."

I felt my stomach drop. I had only spent a few short hours with this woman, but I knew I wasn't ready to let her go and something told me she felt the same way. I had just ended a 10-year relationship with my ex-wife because I couldn't make long distance work. But again and again throughout the night, Lucy had proved that she was not Jess. I felt it deep in my bones- I wanted this woman in my life, no matter how far apart we were.

"Well then, we better make the most of tonight," and I grabbed her right there in the ocean and kissed her. It felt like the whole night was building to this moment and that kiss did not disappoint. All my thoughts and worries evaporated with the touch of Lucy's soft lips on mine. I felt one of Lucy's hand cupping my face. The other was behind my back, trying to keep herself steady. My hands were frantically trying to touch every single part of her they could reach.

Lucy was suddenly aware that I was wearing too much clothes and her hands began to release all the buttons on the front of my shirt. I grabbed her ass and picked her up to carry her back towards the beach. She threw her arms around my neck and continued her urgent kisses.

I headed to the least conspicuous place I had noticed on the deserted beach and set her down gently. We were soaking wet and covered with salt and sand, but I took my shirt of anyway and laid it on the ground for her.

Her hands went immediately to my chest, exploring and absorbing every part of me she could reach. I felt her nails raking against my back. I gently guided her to the ground on top of my shirt, now able to reach more of her. Her tight, red dress had started to ride up, exposing more of her legs. I gently stroked her inner thighs and I felt a groan escaped her lips. As my hand went higher, I felt how warm and wet she was. She wanted me as much as I wanted her.

I slid her panties to the side and slowly started rubbing circles on her clit and her breathing got more and more frantic. I slid my finger deep into her, trying to find that precious sensitive spot, flicking my thumb over her clit every time I pumped in and out. I could feel Lucy trembling underneath me.

"Wyatt," she pleaded. "I need you right now."

I slid my fingers out of her to unbutton my pants and slide them down just enough to release my erection. My heart was racing and could feel blood pounding in my ears, going crazy with the thought of being inside of her.

I bent down to give her a long, slow kiss. "Lucy, I-uh- don't have a condom."

"Its ok. I'm on the pill." She looked at me with pleading eyes. "Wyatt, please," she begged.

I reached under her dress and slowly slid down her panties just enough that I was able to reach what I needed. I couldn't wait any longer and with my eyes locked on hers, I slowly pushed myself into her. Lucy gasped with the full length of me inside of her. I felt her contract and tighten around me.

"God Lucy, you feel so good," I moaned. I started off slowly, getting ourselves into a rhythm, each thrust getting me closer and closer to finishing. It had been so long since I had been with a woman and Lucy felt just right. I reached one hand under her dress to find her clit yet again, coordinating rubbing it with my thrusts.

When it all got to be too much for the both of us, we broke that rhythm. Harder, faster thrusts driven with carnal desire. Both of us sweaty and flushed, soaking wet and covered with sand, we cried out each other's names.

"Lucy-"

"Wyatt-"

Suddenly, I feel Lucy writhing underneath me and it wasn't not long after that I followed her, ripples of pleasure with my vision fading into black.

I collapsed on top of her, shaking with the after effects of my intense orgasm. I felt Lucy shaking beneath me.

"Well this is the second time tonight I've found myself entangled with you, ma'am." Lucy giggled underneath me, seeming not as annoyed at being called "ma'am."

When I was finally able to feel my limbs again, I gave Lucy a soft kiss, extracted myself from her, rolled to the side and pulled her close so her head was resting on my chest.

We spent a few minutes staring up at the stars, each lost in our own thoughts. For the first time in a long time, I felt content and at ease.

"Sorry I ruined your dress," I said breaking the silence.

She laughed and shrugged. "Nothing a trip to the dry cleaners won't fix. I'll probably get some funny looks though. I definitely did not expect the night to go this way when I put this on earlier." She tilted her head up to look at me. "And I'm definitely glad it did."

I placed a light kiss on her forehead, happy just lying in this beautiful place with her, then I felt her shiver. "Lucy, you're freezing. Let's get you somewhere warm."

She nodded and started to get up. "Where to solider?"

I helped her off the ground. "Well, you're asking the wrong person, remember. Just moved here and have not been very adventurous until tonight."

"I could go for a warm shower right now. But my apartment is-" she hesitated, not wanting to bring up what she had told me earlier. "Well, its all packed up. I was going to stay at a friends tonight, but I'm not ready to say goodbye yet."

I took the hint. "We can go to my place. Its too far to walk to but I can order an Uber." I put my shirt back on and helped Lucy straighten out her dress. I ordered the Uber while we were walking off the beach.

"Wyatt, you look like a hot mess," Lucy busted out laughing when we found a bright street light to stand under. Well, I felt like I had taken a bath in a sandbox. Then, "Oh my god, I probably look just as bad."

I took her in for a minute, being able to really see her since we left the beach. She was covered in sand, soaking wet and her hair was a mess but to me, she was gorgeous. I cupped her cupped her face, stroked her cheek and looked right into her warm brown eyes. "You look beautiful."

The next moment, lips were crashing into me. Lucy's hands were in my hair, pulling me closer. My tongue slipped into her mouth. One hand wrapped around her back, the other running up her thigh where her skirt was hiked up.

I heard a horn blare and unwillingly broke the kiss. There was our Uber driver, flashing his high beams, giving us the dirty look ever. _Well, there went my 5-star rating._

I ran over and opened the door for Lucy before the driver could decide he didn't want to drive two soaking wet, sand covered horny 30-somethings and leave us standing on the side of the road. When I saw her safely into the car, I ran around to the other side and got in.

I told the guy where we were going and lucky, for his sake, it wasn't too far of a drive. I reached for Lucy's hand, trying to ignore the leftover electricity from our kiss that ended so abruptly. I felt like a horny teenager. I tried to look everywhere but her eyes to prevent myself from taking her right there in the back of the car, but Lucy had other plans.

She dropped my hand and placed it on my thigh. Her touch felt like a jolt of electricity coursing through my body. As her hand slid higher, I felt my pants getting too tight. She grazed the bulge that was forming in my crotch and continued up to stroke just above the waist of my pants. I could feel my heart beat racing and hear buzzing in my ears. The damn GPS in front of me said there were still 8 minutes until my apartment.

"Lucy," I hissed. The driver had turned up his music and was trying his best to avoid looking in the rearview mirror. She ignored me and continued her caresses. I suddenly felt my pants loosen and looked down to see that somehow Lucy had released the button on my jeans with one hand. That hand had found what it was looking for. Her grip tightened around my dick. She slid her hand down the length of me and then back down, slowly pulsating back and forth. She started pumping fast and I didn't know how much longer I could keep it together. _This woman was put on this Earth to torture me._ Still 2 minutes away.

"You can stop here. This is close enough," I blurted out to the Uber driver. He immediately pulled off to the side of the road, wanting to get rid of us. Lucy had withdrawn her hand from me and I tried to rearrange my pants to be less conspicuous. "Thank you." I jumped out of the car and ran around to the other side to help Lucy out. I barely had time to shut the door before he was driving away.

Before I knew it, Lucy's lips were slamming into mine once again, knocking the air out of me. "Lucy," I breathed out, when I had a moment to break our kiss. "Lucy, we're still about a block from my apartment and I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep from having my way with you right here on the sidewalk for very much longer if you keep attacking me like that."

She blushed but then smiled seductively, "Well then solider, lead the way."

That one block was the longest 5-minute walk of my life. I wanted to reach out and touch Lucy, but I knew that if I did, I wouldn't be able to control myself. The air between us was humming with electricity, little sparks flying between the two of us, ready to combust at any moment. I had never been more in tune with a person in my life, even Jessica.

"This is my building." I pointed out the door to a generic apartment building, one that the army had set up for me. It was nothing special, but it worked. We walked up the flight of stairs to my apartment. Overcome with a mixture of emotions, I fumbled with my key. _This goddamn lock._ Finally, the door was open, and I let her in first.

She didn't make if very far into the apartment before I reached her and slammed her back against the wall. Lips found each other once again and we were kissing frantically. Her hands tugged on my hair, pulling me closer. I grabbed her wrists- both of them were small enough to fit in my hand- and pinned them against the wall above her head.

"Wyatt," she pleaded, struggling against my hands, just wanting to touch me again.

"Nope," I growled. "It's pay back from the car." My free hand hiked up her dress yet again, slipped her panties to the side and to toy with her clit. My lips had left hers. I left a trail of kisses a long her jaw line. I stopped to nibble her ear; she was vibrating with pleasure. I continued down her neck and along her collar bone.

"Wyatt," she whimpered as I nipped at her collar bone.

"I think I need a shower," I whispered in her ear.

I felt Lucy's eyes fly open. "What?"

"And I think you need one too." I scooped her up and carried her to the bathroom, while she was giggling into my chest.

I set her down gently on the bathroom tile and turned on the shower to warm it up. She had started to make a move to take off her clothes.

"No, let me." I slid my hands slowly down one leg, and lightly kissed her thigh as I slid off her strappy shoe. Then, I did the same to the other leg. Next, it was the dress that I had been wanting to remove all night.

I made her turn around and kissed the back of her neck where it met her shoulders, while I slowly pulled down the zipper. She was able to slide out of it and the dress fell to the floor. My fingers softly grazed her back down to the clasp of her bra, which I released, and it fell to the floor.

Lucy had turned back around and if I had thought she was beautiful before, it was nothing compared to now, standing there in just her underwear. I grasped her chin and tilted her face upward, so that my lips were able to reach hers. I kissed her tenderly, my hands exploring her newly exposed soft skin. One hand cupped with underside of her breast and I flicked my finger across her nipple, which was rock hard. My lips left hers and I left a trail of kisses down her body, stopping just at the top of her underwear. I could feel her shiver with my touch.

I was kneeling on the floor in front of her now. I tenderly slid her panties down her legs, creating goosebumps on the skin that I had touched. Once she stepped out of them, my lips found her inner thigh and I pressed light kisses higher and higher up her leg. I glanced up at Lucy for one quick second just before grabbing her ass to steady her, as my tongue met her hard, plump clit.

Lucy grabbed my hair to keep herself steady as my tongue lapped harder and faster. I could feel Lucy trembling above me, moaning and pulling harder on my hair.

"Wyatt," she gasped barely keeping it together as I continued torturing her with my tongue. I squeezed her ass, lost in the pleasure of how I was affecting the divine woman before me.

"Fuck, Wyatt," Lucy cried out suddenly as I sent her into a rocketing orgasm. I felt her legs giving away and steadied my hold on her ass while she writhed against me.

Slowly, I released myself from her and stood up to be at her eye level. Lucy was still unsteady on her feet, so I scooped her up and set her on the bathroom counter. I pressed a few kisses to the top of her head, while I stood between her legs and she sat there, regathering her senses.

"That was- wow" she breathed out with a satisfied smile. "Your turn now."

She undid all the buttons on my shirt and brushed her hands against my chest as she went to push it off. I could feel my blood boiling in the places she had touched. She slid off the counter and next was my belt. Her fingers grazed the skin above the waist of my pants before releasing the button and fly. Once my pants were loose, I let them drop to the floor and stepped out of them. She wasted no time relieving me of my boxers.

She took a step back, taking me all in, just I had done with her.

"Well, solider, didn't you say we were in need of a shower?" She grabbed my hand and tugged me into the warmed-up shower. I wasted no time following her in.

We let the water flow over us. Lucy's hair was stuck to the side of her face. I brushed it behind her ear and backed her up against the wall of the shower. My lips crashed against her in fiery passion, my need to be deep within her again growing more and more intense. One of her hands grabbed my dick and I let out a low growl. I flipped her around so her plump ass was pressed against me, my erection growing even harder. I placed kisses along the side of her neck and felt her shivering against me, even though the water splashing against us was steaming hot.

"Wyatt," I drew even more pleasure from the raspy voice in which she called my name. "I need you now." I reached around her and fondled her clit while she went to brace herself against the wall, and then, when she was ready, I took her from behind.

She moaned with pleasure as my finger kept pace with my thrusts, water pouring on top of us. Being inside Lucy again was almost too much for me. I had to slow my pace down, so I wouldn't succumb too quickly.

"Oh, fuck Wyatt. I'm so close."

"Not yet, Luce." I slid out of her and turned her around quickly, wanting to see her beautiful face as I sent her into her third orgasm of the night. I backed her against the wall and she wrapped one leg around me as I entered her again. I kissed her as I thrusted in and out, harder and faster than before, one hand cupping her face while the other cupped a breast and flicked a finger across her hard nipple.

Unable to hold it back any longer, Lucy let out a large moan, "Oh, Wyatt," as I sent her into an earth-shattering orgasm.

I wasn't too far behind. With my last few thrusts, I succumbed to the fiery explosion of passion and I felt myself release into her. "Lucy-" I panted as I shuttered against her. I felt her leg drop, released myself from her and tilted my forehead against hers as we collected ourselves under the water.

Still breathing heavily, Lucy asked, "Didn't you need a shower, solider?"

I looked at her like she was crazy, but she reached around me and grabbed my bottle of shampoo and squeezed some out onto her hand.

"You've got to bend over so I can reach your head," she laughed because of the way I was still looking at her. I obliged, and she started lathering the shampoo into my hair. She was good at it, scratching my scalp and taking her time to make sure she hit every spot of hair. I didn't want her to stop.

"You wouldn't want me to wash your hair. I probably end up pulling some of it out." She laughed and squeezed some more onto her hand and started working it into her own hair. While she was doing that, I rinsed out the shampoo from my hair. I grabbed my bar of soap and lathered it onto a clean washcloth I had grabbed before I turned on to the shower.

"Allow me ma'am," she smiled and allowed me to clean the sand off her. I took my time and she giggled at my scrutiny, trying to ensure that there was not spot of sand left on her. In reality, I just didn't want to stop touching her.

When I was done, she took the wash cloth from me and did the same, taking her time passing her hands over part of my body.

The water had started to grow cold and decided that our shower was over. I grabbed a fluffy white towel for Lucy to dry herself off with while I ran out to get some clothes for us.

I threw on a solid gray t-shirt and some jeans and grabbed some of my sweats and a Rangers shirt to bring back to the bathroom for Lucy.

"Did you want anything to drink? I have some beer. I'm not sure I have any vodka for you."

She smiled back at me and said, "A beer sounds good right now. Thank you."

I left her to get dressed and rummaged around for some clean glasses in the kitchen for the two of us. I had forgotten that I needed to do dishes. Usually, I was a pretty neat and tidy person but these past few months hadn't been my best. I tried to tidy up some and threw out an old pizza box before Lucy finished in the bathroom. The apartment the Army had set up for me wasn't anything of note, but it worked for my purpose. It was small but had enough room for me and it came fully furnished. I didn't need much. It was a small one bedroom, one bathroom with a living room and an outdated kitchen. I was constantly having to up-date the time on the oven because it would run too slow. Currently, it was flashing 2:32am. _Only 7 and a half hours left with Lucy._

The one thing it did have was good sized balcony with a beautiful view of a park next to the building. With all my cleaning, I didn't see Lucy make her way out of the bathroom and spot the balcony. She was leaning against the railing looking out at the park below, the moonlight touching her hair. The fact that she was wearing my shirt and sweatpants, both of which were way too big for her, made the sight even more stunning. It was a picture I wanted to keep in my memory forever. As I watched her, unwilling to ruin the picture, I thought about the night that had passed.

Lucy had come out of nowhere, like a light of fire in my darkness. I had always been about practicality and what worked, never about following my heart or "lets just see what happens." But, tonight had shed some light on my relationship with Jess. She was my high school sweetheart. From the time we were 16, we had said we were going to get married. We had been saying it for so long, I never at one point in my life thought that she wasn't "the one." Maybe we were right for each other in our early 20s, but time, distance and war, in my case, can change a person. I guess we had grown apart. Meeting Lucy had made me realize that I had not had a spark or connection with Jess like I did with Lucy in many years. Deep down, I would always love Jess, as she was my first love, but it was time for me to stop digging myself into a deeper and deeper hole and move on.

And now, I would have to say good-bye to Lucy in just a few short hours when we had only just met. I shook my head and thought again, "Well, we'd better make the best of it." I picked up our glasses of beer and headed out to join her.

She turned around when she heard me trying to slip through the partially open slider with two glasses in my hand.

"Here, let me take one of those." She laughed, and I pushed the door open further so I could fit through.

I joined her at the railing. "This is such an amazing view. I'd be out here every night if I lived here."

"Yea, the Army for once had good taste with this one. You should have seen some of the crappy places they put me up in." I chuckled, thinking of some of the places I had had to call home.

"How long do you have to stay in San Francisco for?"

"Just a couple more months. The end of October is when this training program finishes. Then, I'm back to Pendleton. I think I'll miss it here."

We stood in silence for a few minutes, taking in the scene and each other's company, nursing our beers. But then I couldn't take it anymore, I had to know about her band's tour.

"So, tell me about your tour." Even though I couldn't seem to put together the feelings I had about tomorrow morning, I was damn proud of Lucy.

A huge grin appeared on her face. "So, its actually not too long of a tour, only 3 months. We're opening for a couple of headliners along the way, hoping that someone big will hear us perform. We leave for Boston tomorrow and will tour along the East coast for the first month and a half. So New York, Philly, Pittsburgh, DC, Raleigh, Atlanta, Orlando and Miami. Then Chicago, Dallas, Austin, Las Vegas and then we end in LA. We play a couple shows in each city. It seems like a lot but we'll have some down time to be tourists." She was so animated and excited out it. Her and her band had worked so hard to get to where they were today, I was so glad that their dreams were starting to become a reality.

I couldn't help think that most of those cities would be easy for me to get to if I wanted to visit. My schedule had been flexible lately and I could take a couple long weekends. Then I realized, "Hey, I'll be pretty much in LA in 3 months too." She looked confused, but excited. "Pendleton's only about 2 hours from LA. Maybe I will be able to come up and see a show."

"Wyatt-," she bit her lip and paused. She looked like she was having a heated debate in her head with herself about what she wanted to say.

"Lucy, you can tell me anything."

"Wyatt, would you want come see more than just the shows in LA?" It took me a few minutes to understand what she was asking, but once I did, a huge grin appeared on my face.

"I'm embarrassed to say, but I was already planning trips to the East Coast in my head." Lucy grinned right back.

Lucy shivered. It was getting chilly as the night carried on. "Do you want to stay out here? I can get a sweatshirt and a blanket for you?"

"Do you mind if we stay out here a little longer? I'm not sure when I'll be back in the San Fran and I just want to enjoy my city a little longer."

"Of course, ma'am." I went back inside to find her something warmer. I ended up just grabbing the comforter of my bed because I couldn't find a spare blanket and an old worn in sweatshirt. Both of our drinks were empty, and I grabbed us some refills. The clock on the oven now shined 3:00 am.

When I made it back outside trying to juggle everything, I found that Lucy had moved to the bench that sat on the balcony. She tried to help me free my hands and took the blanket and sweatshirt from me while I set the beers on a small table. I joined her on the bench and she through the blanket over me. There wasn't that much room for the two of us and Lucy slid close and leaned her head against my shoulder.

"Stay up with me tonight?" She asked softly.

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." I slid my arm around her, pulled her close and placed a light kiss on the top of her head.

We spent the next hour talking about everything from our families, to our high school days to our likes and interests. I even ended telling her some stories from my Delta Force days; stories that know one besides myself and my buddies knew. She told me about her travels around the world with her family when she was younger. I felt like I had known her forever and words came out easily around her. I couldn't remember the last time I had talked to someone this much.

Eventually even though she tried her hardest to stay up, Lucy slipped into a peaceful slumber curled up with me and I found myself succumbing to sleep almost immediately, exhausted with the events from the night.

* * *

I woke suddenly an hour later, very aware of a person wrapped around me. It took me a few seconds to gather my bearings and realize who was lying on top of me. _Lucy._ Her hair had fallen in front of her face and I brushed it behind her ear. She was still sound asleep. Her head was resting against my chest and the rest of her was curled around me.

I was afraid to move and wake her, but it had gotten pretty cold and the bench we were on wasn't very comfortable, so I tried my best to maneuver my way off the bench with her still in my arms. Even though she was still sound asleep, her arms went automatically around my neck and she buried her face into my chest, making cute sleepy noises.

I took her to my bedroom and laid her down on my bed as gently as I could. As soon as I went to pull away from her to go grab the comforter from outside and straighten up some, she started to groan.

"Wyatt, don't go. It's cold and you're so warm," she groaned sleepily, reaching out her arms trying to get me to come to bed with her.

I chuckled. "I'll be right back Lucy. I have to get the blanket." That caused more groans and incoherent noises, but I kissed the top of her head and snuck out of the room.

I ran back outside to grab our used glasses and the blanket, and I saw that the clock now said 5:12am. _Less than 5 hours with Lucy._ I dropped the glasses into the sink and ran back into the bedroom, unwilling to spend another second not wrapped around her.

Lucy was curled into a little ball in the middle of the bed, and she had taken all the pillows. She was spooning around one of them with her face buried in it. "It smells like you." Lucy mumbled as her felt me staring at her. "What are you waiting for? Don't you want your spot back?"

I definitely did. I threw the blanket on top of her, plucked the pillow from her and slid into bed with her. She automatically curled herself around me. _There is no where else I'd rather be._

Sleep fell upon us immediately.

* * *

I woke up to a soft hand grazing the side of my cheek and sliding down my arm. _Lucy._ I opened my eyes to her warm brown ones.

"Good mornin." I said, my voice still filled with sleep. I used the arm that was draped around her and pulled her close and pressed a kiss on her lips.

"Good morning," she said brightly, sounding like she had been awake for a while. The sun was creeping through my tiny window leaving a warm glow resting over Lucy. She was still in my oversized t-shirt and sweats and looked perfect laying in my arms. "Was last night ok?" Her hand back on my cheek.

"It was great," I chuckled, and she smiled. Last night was so great, I was already thinking about how I wanted to repeat it. I reached my hand up under her shirt and caressed the soft skin of her back and felt her shiver beneath me.

Lucy brought my face to hers and placed a tender kiss on my lips, much different than the many kisses we shared last night. Less urgent and less needy, like she wanted to memorize my lips and how I kissed. I knew a goodbye was coming in a few hours, but I wanted to savor the woman in front of me for as long as I could.

Eventually, I pressed her back against the bed, so I was hovering above her. She tugged off my shirt and grazed her hands against my chest as if trying to map out every curve and muscle of my body. I slid one hand up the side of her slim body, taking her t-shirt off to expose her bare breasts. I soaked her in, trying to engrave her form into my memory. For a moment, we just stared into each other's eyes, taking in the situation and the person in front of each us.

When the tension between us grew too much, our lips met again with an urge of needing to taste each other once more. Her lips parted and my tongue dipped in. It was slow and tender at first and then grew in intensity. One of her hands was gripping my hair, pulling me closer to her and the other grabbed my ass.

Wanting to reach more of her, I suddenly rolled Lucy over so that she was on top of me, which made her giggle. One of my hands when to her wavy brown hair; the other brushed down the soft skin of her back down to her plump ass, to which I gave a quick squeeze, then slid down the pair of sweats she was still wearing. She wasn't wearing anything underneath and I felt my stomach drop just thinking she had been walking around in my pants all night without any underwear. I didn't think it was possible, but I wanted her even more.

Sensing my increased desire, Lucy pulled of my shirt and tugged my boxers down. There was a pause; we were just two people enjoying a morning with nothing between us. Light from the window shined on Lucy. She looked beautiful, with her messy morning hair, porcelain skin and make-up free face. I was only able to savor it for a moment before she slid down upon me and took me for herself.

Lucy set the pace first, taking in all of me and tantalizing me with slow deep thrusts, taking her time as if to torture me with pleasure. Her breasts bounced up and down with each thrust, enthralling me even more.

"Luce-" I choked out. The edges of her lips turned up and it was as if the nickname ignited something within her. Her thrusts accelerated, faster and faster. Beads of sweat dripped down her back to my hands gripping her ass.

Lucy came before me, crying out my name in pleasure. I wasn't too far behind, feeling the increasing pleasure build up in me. When the passion over powered me, shockwaves of electricity coursed through my body, all the way down to my toes and I felt myself release into her. She collapsed on top of me giggling with satisfaction and exhaustion.

Eventually, Lucy climbed off of me and curled up next to me in bed and we just laid there in silence, happy to be in each other's company. I was afraid to say anything, not wanting to ruin the magic that had occurred throughout the last 12 hours.

* * *

By the time we had made it out of bed, my clock was flashing 8:30. Lucy needed to get going in order to meet her bandmates to go to the airport. I gave her a pair of my basketball shorts and let her keep the t-shirt she was wearing because of the state that her dress from last night was in.

Lucy figured out that her apartment was only a 10-minute walk from mine, so we decided to enjoy the nice day in the city. We stopped at a bakery to get some coffee and a quick breakfast, only stopping our non-stop chatter to order.

We arrived in front of a large, old Victorian house that Lucy said had been divided into several apartments. We took the main stairwell up to the second level where two doors were seen at either end of the hallway.

Once we got to the door of the apartment she pointed out as hers, I heard a lot of loud commotion coming from inside. I tensed up, reflexes on high alert as I wasn't sure if someone had broken in.

"Its just Ian and the guys helping get my stuff together. Ian's got my spare key. I sent him a text earlier to let him know that I wasn't home," Lucy said, noticing my reaction to the sounds. She opened the door and we walked into moving chaos.

Her three bandmates were there, throwing things into boxes. Lucy had told me last night she was putting a lot of her things in storage and had sold the rest of her furniture to her landlord.

"Lucy, looks like you brought more man power!" I recognized the guy who spoke as the drummer. "I'm Jimmy." He reached out his hand for me to shake.

"Wyatt. What do you need me to do?" I replied, return the handshake. The place looked like a bomb had gone off.

Well, Lucy's the procrastinator as always. We've got to leave for our flight in 30 minutes and she still has stuff unpacked. At this point, just throw stuff in boxes." I saw Lucy glare at him from the other side of the room.

"Please do not just _throw_ my stuff in boxes."

"That's what you get for leaving things until last minute," said the guy I recognized as Ian. He pointed us to a door to the side. "We haven't been able to start in there yet."

"I didn't mean for you to have to help me," Lucy whispered to me as we were packing up the rest of her bedroom, looking rather guilty.

"Its ok Lucy. I'm glad I could provide some assistance. Looks like you couldn't do it by yourself." I winked at her and she threw a pillow at me laughing.

Somehow, the five of us were able to get everything packed and into the moving truck outside in under 30 minutes. I wasn't sure how much Lucy would appreciate having to go through and find everything later, but it got finished. Her sister Amy was taking care of the truck and storage unit for her later.

It was finally time to say goodbye. Lucy pulled me outside to the hall, away from all the commotion from inside the apartment.

We both stared at each other not really knowing how to say it. "Thank you, Lucy, for getting me to talk about Jess. I didn't know how much I needed it."

A warm smile appeared on her face. "Well, thank you for listening to me talk your ear off about my mother." She pulled me into a warm embrace, wrapping her arms snug around me. I wasn't much of a hugger but I had to admit Lucy's hugs were one of a kind. In her embrace, I felt my resentment for myself slip away, feeling at home and at peace with myself for the first time in a long time. She sighed into my shoulder and then turned her head to rest in my shoulder, the scent of my shampoo from last night in her hair. There were so many words that I wanted to say but unsure how to say them. We had met just 15 hours ago and I wasn't able to quite wrap around the feelings inside my head. I squeezed her back, unwilling to let go just yet.

In the end, I knew I had to let go.

"I'm sorry Wyatt, I kind of suck at goodbyes. I don't really know what to say." A wave of her hair had fallen in front of her face. I brushed it behind her ear and cupped her cheek.

"Then don't say anything at all." I brought her lips to mine and pulled her closer. This kiss shared the unspoken words between us- the "not wanting to let you go but knowing I have to." We eventually broke apart, an air of possibilities residing on our lips.

"So, do you mind if I call you when I get to Boston?" she asked shyly.

"I was hoping you would, ma'am." She glared at me one more time but I could see the corners of her lips curl up slightly, showing me that it was beginning to grow on her.

Unable to deny the inevitable any longer, Lucy looked into my eyes one last time. "Well, then, I'll see you around, solider."

"See you later, Lucy," I said, turning away and trying my damnedest not to look back.

I had walked one block down the street from Lucy's apartment before I stopped dead in my tracks. _I need to go back._ I couldn't let her go, not yet. I wasn't sure what was going to happen in our futures, but I wanted Lucy in mine. I was tired of living in the past. With the realization, I turned back around and sprinted to her apartment and up the stairs. Once outside her door I paused for only a second, nerves getting to me. Then, KNOCK KNOCK.

I waited a few moments and then she was there at the door, with a confused expression on her face. "Wyatt, is everything ok?"

"I don't know. I just know I'm not ready to say goodbye yet." A grin spread across her face, then she took two steps towards me and her lips were on mine.

 **A/N: Hope you all enjoyed it! This was supposed to be just a short little story and then I spit out almost 13000 words hahaha Please let me know what you think. I haven't written anything creative in a very very long time (10 years) so I'm a little rusty. Also, this was my first time writing smut and I would appreciate any type of feedback possible! #saverufus #clockblockers**


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